Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	adam_n	sin_n	soul_n	5,612	5	5.5561	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51266	The grand inquiry who is the righteous man: or, The character of a true beleever in his approaches towards heaven. Whereunto is added The resolution of a case of separation betwixt man and wife, propounded to the author by a party much concerned. By William Moore rector at Whalley in Lancashire.	Moore, William, rector of Whalley, Lancashire.	1658 (1658)	Wing M2612; ESTC R214225	54,012	181

and happiness both in this world and that which is to come It requires therefore as my greatest pains so your best attention And the rather because Satan is so busie The god of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them The understanding of this mysterie is the shining of this glorious Gospel Therefore he casts clouds upon it because he knowes that the right understanding of these things is that which sets open the gates of heaven to poor penitent sinners for this is life eternal to know Christ the Lord our righteousness Therefore he imployes his instruments and they raise up the mists of error to darken our understandings Our Adversaries of Rome tell us of a righteousness of works nor only in the way of precept but of counsel works of supererogation too a doing of more then the Law requires Hence their Pardons Indulgences and the like out of those overflowing merits of the Saints Nay the Jesuite hath exchang'd his poyson a generation of vipers there is amongst our selves not worthy the mention in this place O how they rend the bowels of their dear Mother the Church even denying the Lord that bought them The rather therefore let us give all diligence to search it and to finde it out And in this discovery I beseech you not to consult with your own sense and reason that is but to consult with flesh and bloud much lesse would I have you to take things upon trust because this or that man hath spoken it but because this is the foundation whereupon is built all our interest in the joy of Saints therefore consult we with the sacred Oracles the writings of the Prophets and Apostles those holy men who spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Sure I am that here is the infallible truth which cannot deceive us The mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken this To return therefore to our purpose By the light of Scripture to discover to you Who is this Righteous Man For the right understanding of this we must know that there 's a twofold Righteousness a Righteousness of works and a Righteousness of Faith 1. The Righteousness of Works This is when a man continues in all things that are written in this book to do them when we perform a perfect exact unsinning obedience to the whole Law of God This righteousness of the Law is the righteousness of Works Rom. 10.5 Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law that the man which doth those things shall live by them So it is a righteousness in the way of doing in the way of Works Now thus we say with Paul Rom. 3.10 There is none righteous no not one I know there are some say otherwise and we hear their brags they fulfill the Law nay more then the Law requires else why do they tell us of the works of supererogation or from whence should arise that treasure of Saints merits which the Pope dispenses to redeem souls out of Purgatory So the Pharisees trusted in themselves that they were righteous but the Apostle argues it Gal. 3.21 23. If there had been a Law given which could have given life verily righteousness should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that therefore we might not seek for righteousness in the way of the Law but in the way of Faith It is the Apostles peremptory conclusion Gal. 2.6 By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified And it is a clear truth For 1. Is there any that doth all things that are written in this book and continues in so doing It is a passage in the prayer of Solomon 1 King 8.46 If they sin against thee for there is no man that sinneth not and thou be angry c. If they sin against thee but lest some should question this because he speaks it with an if therefore he brings in this sad parenthesis There is no man that sins not Not any man whatsoever not the most holy the most righteous man The words are express Eccles 7.20 There is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Though there be just men upon earth yet no man so just but sometimes he sins Nor is it the language of the old Testament but of the New J●m 3 2. In many things we offend all Not in some things but in many things not they but we and all we he brings in himself amongst them though he was a servant of Jesus Christ and a Minister of the Gospel 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves And Christ himself hath taught us When ye pray say Our Father which art in heaven Forgive us our trespasses Why doth he teach us to pray daily for the forgivenesse of our sins but because we are daily committing of new sins even those that call God father 2. But suppose we now do all things that are written in this book and continue in so doing yet it hath been otherwise Saith Paul Before I was a persecutor a blasphemer and injurious And 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you Nay not some but all Ephes 2.1 2 3. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also we all had our conversation in times past Not ye but we also and all we Suppose then we walk at present as Zachary and Elizabeth in all the Commandements and Ordinances of God blameless yet formerly we have gone astray and if we look upon time past we must needs acknowledge we are transgressors of the Law Now who shall expiate those sins for us or quit us from that former guilt in the time of our ignorance that so we may appear as righteous in the sight of God 3. But suppose we could clear our selves of actual transgression and say with the young man in the Gospel we have kept all the Commandements of God from our youth up yet we know that we are born in sin Ephes 2.3 We are by nature the children of wrath even as others All by nature in the same condition And why children of wrath but because born in sin Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Not one Adam begot a son in his own likeness as for nature so corruption of nature Such as the fountain is such are the streams therefore sinfull sons because descended from the loynes of sinful parents Rom. 5.12 As by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For that or in whom the word

righteous 2. A Direction The way to solid and true joy is the way of the righteous Beloved we all desire solid and true joy This that which we all long after to lead a cheerfull and a comfortable life and to make a joyful and a happy end My Text directs you to the means Get into the number of the righteous This is that which will give you joy in the end joy without end and this only You think to finde it some in one way some in another some in a third one pursues it in a way of riches a second in a way of honours a third in a way of pleasures They do but please themselves in their own fancies and embrace meer shadowes Either you must finde it in a way of righteousnesse or you shall never attain to solid and soul-satisfying joy I shall first shew you where you cannot finde it and then where true joy is to be had 1. Do not seek it in the way of riches Many men think if they had but wealth enough they should have joy enough It is true perhaps if they had enough but we see it by experience Eccles 1.8 The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear fill'd with hearing So Eccles 5.10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase As the dropsie to the body so is covetousnesse to the minde Mille meis errent in montibus Agni Oh that I had a thousand lambs upon the mountains And when we have got a thousand then pauperis est numerare pecus he is but a poor man that can number his cattel The more we have the more we crave And how shall we quench his thirst which is increased by drinking Besides though we could have enough yet we are not sure to hold it Prov. 23.51 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not For riches certainly make themselves wings they flie away as an Eagle toward heaven And then the more our joy in the fruition the greater our sorrow in the losse However when death comes such as our entrance such is the exit Naked came we into the word and naked must we go out of the world We do but imbrace the cloud in stead of Juno Whilest we think to hug a happinesse in abundance Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years eat drink and be merry Death comes and our joy goes Thou fool this night thy soul shall be taken from thee and then whose shall these things be 2. Do not seek it in the way of honours Many please themselves in the way of eminency Oh quam pulchrum est digito monstrari dicier Hic est what a brave thing it is to be pointed at There goes such a man So if they can but climb up into such an office or get the praise and applause of men especially the favour of such great ones Haman invited to the Queens banquet then went he to his home joyfull and with a glad heart It is true indeed a good name is as a precious oyntment and more to be desired then gold and silver yet as good as it is remember it is bonum sine sera aut clave a good without lock and key It is a thing scarce in our own keeping We stand much at the courtesie of others for it And can we chain up the winds The multitude who but yesterday would have crown'd our Saviour to day Away with him crucifie him And Haman in that height of favour with King Ahashuerus how suddenly is the wind in another corner and whilest yet at the banquet the Kings countenance is changed and he sees that evil is determined against him by the King So Herod whilest loud in the acclamations of the people The voice of God and not of man presently the Angel of the Lord smites him and Herod is eaten up of wormes He became a prey to those base flatterers so Josephus seems to give the sense though I conceive he comes short in the story and those who so applauded him were his devourers 3. Do not seek it in the way of pleasures Many go this way and think themselves the only men Whilest others are toyling in the earth of riches or swearing in a throng of offices and honours these enjoy the world at will and feast themselves upon the sweat of other mens labours Thus one sports away his time in gaming And when he hath conquered his neighbour and made himself master of anothers purse is not the box the only gainer So they shall finde it when they come to the last game when the soul lies at stake they have lost their time and now hell it sweeps all away A second swils away his time in drinking Let us fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant But doth not the aking pate and empty purse chide them to an after reckoning We to them that rise up early for strong drink that continue untill night till wine inflame them A third beastiates himself in goatish lechery Come let us take our fill of loves And when Amnon hath got his will of his sister Tamar the hatred wherewith he hateth her is more then the love wherewith he loved her And what fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed A fourth perhaps of more heroick spirit he is for high atchievement and more noble action So Nebuchadnezzar pleases himself in the contemplation of his works Is not this great Babylon which I have built And whilest the word was yet in the Kings mouth there fell a voice from heaven O King Nebuchadnezzar to thee be it spoken the Kingdome is departed from thee And when Alexander hath conquered the whole world his fathers fall from his horse into the dust if he view the print of his body it will shew him that as little earth contains him as another man A fifth perhaps more contemplative of a clearer intellect he sees the folly of the world whilest so very throng and busie as Ants upon the mole-hill and he delights himself in his study to discourse with forein languages to view Natures secrets to consult with former ages This man seems to come the nearest for so the Scholar findes a pleasure in it more pleasure in his books then either the covetous in his bags or the voluptuous at his board or the lecherous in his bed or the pragmatical in the noise and tumult of his most heroick actions Yet remember though we could speak all languages yet if we speak not the language of Canaan we are amongst Gods people but as a Barbarian Or as the Apostle Though I speak with the tongue of men and Angels yea though I understood all mysteries and all knowledge yet if I have not charity I am but as a sounding brasse and as a tinkling Cymbal If there be not the sap of grace in this tree of knowledge it bears nothing but